Connecticut

It's here again. Mother's Day. A time to celebrate the importance of our role in life, seriously! Our own, ourselves and our fellow comrades. It's a day worth celebrating. A day to relax from the daily grind and to have fun. Besides going to brunch or out to dinner this Sunday you may want to check out one of the great events and deals we've rounded up this week.

The Connecticut mommy poppins calendar lists fun things to do each day of the week. However, we've assembled the weekend lowdown so you can get a step ahead on your social calendar. Looking for something fun and different? The 13th Annual Pawcatuck River Duck Race will be held in downtown Westerly-Pawcatuck. The Pawcatuck River will be filled with approximately 20,000 yellow rubber duckies all racing toward the finish line. In Milford, It's everything kites at the 4th annual Milford Living Kite Fly where the ConnectiKiters join in with their dazzling kites and astonishing dips and twirls at Walnut Beach.

Eliza, a mother of 3 living in Litchfield County, had an inspirational moment one day while grocery shopping. Tired of the usual meatballs, burgers and Bolognese rotation, she has begun a quest to cook authentic ethnic meals from a different region each week. Last week was India, this week Spain and next week will be Israel.

With several family birthdays requiring special favorite dishes, I was only able to cook two Spanish meals this week but both were delicious. Similar to all other Mediterranean countries, the Spanish cuisine has two basic elements- olive oil and garlic.

We've come a long way since Earth Day was first established in 1971. Check out this link to see CT's environmental accomplishments over the past 40 years. Staggering to see what's been accomplished. And if you haven't already, why not plant a home farm this Spring and enjoy growing your own delicious veggies and herbs? Check out this site to find out more.

There are tons of Earth Day activities for kids going on this weekend and next, including green festivals, fun eco-art activities, educational workshops, beach clean ups and more.
Grab the family and have fun at one of these cool events.

There's so much for Connecticut families to do this weekend. There are many Earth Day festivals, nature activities, and even a great weekend long carnival in Fairfield. You and the kids can also get into the Easter spirit with an old-fashioned Egg Hunt and or visit the Easter Bunny Express Train Ride at Danbury Railway Museum where you can take a ride in a vintage train.

If you're in the mood for family friendly theater then head to Downtown Cabaret Theatre in Bridgeport for a presentation of Goldie Locks. For art activities your little one can try their hand at painting plein air, in the open air, just like the Lyme Art Colony artists at the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme.

It's Spring! Get out there and take advantage of one of the great nature activities. The Full Moon Nature Hike at Greenwich Audubon includes a marshmallow roasting campfire. Below you will find the weekend event listings.Click on the title which will take you to the MP CT calendar where you will get all of the juicy details. Enjoy!

Do you live roughly 20 miles from any good ethnic cuisine so deep in the wilds of Connecticut that there is no take-out save the local pizza joint? Well, I do. And after years of city living this can be a crushing situation at times.

Last week while trekking around the circumference of the local Stop & Shop, loading up on the usual for my family of five, I paused in front of the meats. Staring at the ground turkey I wondered if it would be meatballs, burgers or Bolognese. And then I sighed. And then I had a vision. I could cook ethnic food. I could choose one country a week and for the 3-4 dinners where my husband and kids were all present, I could cook from that country. Extra bonus: We might even discuss the country- where it is and what the staples are - and learn something! Not to mention that the kids would be expanding their palettes by experiencing a variety of herbs and spices in different cuisines.

I received a request for summer sports camps near Washington, CT for a 6 year old. WIth a bit of research I came up with the following options that are not too far of a drive for anyone in the southern portion of Litchfield County. Of course, many of the camps will accept younger and older children as well. You'll have to read their fine print for details. Not every camp accepts 6 year olds so I appreciated the inquiry. Hopefully this list will help your young sport get his/her fix. TIp: It's always good to start with your local parks and rec to see what they are offering (so I've included Washington's info here). Please post any additional options I may have missed in the comments section below. And by all means, share with your friends!

This time of year I always start dreaming of a warm sunny paradise. Unfortunately a trip to the Caribbean is not in our near future so thank goodness we have an indoor water park not too far away. Paradise for me? Not quiet. But it sure does make my kids happy and for that I get bliss at the end of the day (when they are too tired to even speak). CoCo Key Water Resortis located in Waterbury at the Holiday Inn. They have separate entrances and it's easy to find. I was surprised to find out that they open from 4-9 during the week. If you get a gang of kids together you can get a discount for 10 or more. It's big enough to keep all ages occupied for hours yet small enough not to overwhelm you as a parent. Food is easy, if not the the healthiest, and there's even an arcade when the kids need to dry off and take a break from the water.

You might not think of a casino as a family friendly destination, but Foxwoods, near Hartford, has some surprisingly fun—and wholesome—options for kids. From Ice skating on their brand new outdoor rink, an enormous arcade with current and vintage games and a museum dedicate to Connecticut's native Americans, a trip to Foxwoods has a lot to offer.